This application claims the priority of German Patent Document No. 100 11 908.5, filed in Germany, Mar. 11, 2000, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to an arrangement for a belt level adjuster of a safety belt system which adjuster is arranged in a column or pillar of a vehicle, such as a B or C column or pillar of a passenger car and a deformation element is arranged between a detent rail of the belt system and the column.
From German Patent Document DE 295 19 483 U1, an arrangement is known for a belt level adjuster of a safety belt system in a motor vehicle which is fastened by way of a detent rail by means of a deformation element on a column of a vehicle body. Furthermore, from German Patent Document DE 43 41 119 A1 (corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,456), a preassembled carrier unit for operating parts of a safety belt system is known, which receives the operating parts of the belt system and, on the whole, can be fastened on a column of the vehicle body. In addition, from German Patent Document DE 196 51 092 A1 (corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,687), a safety belt system for a vehicle is known which forms an anchoring rail for the belt arrangement which, by way of screws, is connected with a column wall of the vehicle body and bases the screw in an impact absorption element. In an impact situation, this element will deform and plastically absorb impact energy.
It is an object of the invention to provide an arrangement for a safety belt system which can be connected with a vehicle column and can be exchanged by a simple mounting and demounting method and, in the event of a head impact, can absorb energy well, the number of parts being low which have to be exchanged after a head impact.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by an arrangement for a belt level adjuster of a safety belt system, which adjuster is arranged in a column of a vehicle. A deformation element is arranged between a detent rail of the belt system and the column, wherein the detent rail is supported by a carrier plate with the deforming element held between the carrier plate and a column wall of the vehicle body by way fastening plate. This fastening plate, in a mounted operating position is arranged resting against a wall surface of the column wall facing away from an interior column wall and, in a head impact position, is moved away from this wall surface of the column wall.
Principal advantages achieved by the invention are that, as a result of the construction of the arrangement such that the detent rail with a carrier plate is held by a deformation element on a column wall of the vehicle body by way of a fastening plate, only the deformation element is damaged in the event of a head impact. The reason is that, in the mounted operating position, the fastening plate is arranged to be resting on a surface of the column wall which faces away from the interior wall of the column and, in a head impact position, the fastening plate is arranged to be detached from this surface of the column wall.
In order to achieve the above described advantages, preferred embodiments of the invention provide that the detent rail with the carrier plate is connected by way of continuous screws to the column wall, and the the detent rail is connected to the carrier plate only by way of at least one hook-in connection. The screws are screwed into weld nuts on the fastening plate. Thus, in the event of a head impact onto the belt level adjuster, the connection screws with the fastening plate can be displaced in an unhindered manner into a clearance of the column. Damage to the column wall of the vehicle body structure is thereby largely avoided, so that only the deformation element has to be exchanged after a head impact.
So that the detent rail can be optionally assembled with a mechanical or electrical level adjuster in a fast and simple manner, the carrier plate, that is, the so-called adapter plate, is constructed with different receiving devices for the detent rail. Thus, in the case of a mechanically operable belt level adjuster, the adapter plate is constructed with side-by-side longitudinal slots and engages as a hook-in connection with protruding hooks on the web of the detent rail. Furthermore, the carrier plate or the adapter plate for an electric belt level adjuster, as a hook-in connection, can have at least one key-shaped opening at the lower end, which opening engages with at least one pin element on the web of the detent rail and the pin element has an end-side detent head.
As a result of the fact that a separation takes place between the linkage of the belt level adjuster and the body shell by means of an interposed adapter plate, it is possible to equip a vehicle series with different existing belt level adjuster systems. With respect to its basic equipment, a vehicle can be equipped with a cost-effective system. This system will then, for example, have a fastening with one screw point and a hook-in solution or a connection by way of two screw point.
In the case of higher-quality vehicle equipment according to certain preferred embodiments of the invention, an electric belt level adjusting system can be installed. In this system, for example, one screw point and a hook-in solution with a key-shaped opening can be used.
According to certain preferred embodiments of the invention, the deformation element consists of a plastically deformable rib body. The ribs extend approximately at a right angle with respect to the interior column wall plate and the carrier plate and are spaced with respect to one another, and hollow spaces form between the ribs. Furthermore, the deformation element can also consist of a plastically deformable honeycomb body.
According to certain preferred embodiments of the invention, the deformation element can be arranged to be either clamped in between the carrier plate and the fastening plate or the column wall, or it can be held on the fastening screws by way of sleeve-type receiving devices molded to the top and to the bottom.
In addition to being fastened by way of the screws, the fastening plate can be fixed by means of a face-side and/or lateral lug or lugs to the column wall of the vehicle body column which will then bend open in the event of a head impact and release the fastening plate.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.